Gardenia plant named &#39;Kimberly&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Gardenia plant named ‘Kimberly’ characterized by having dark green glossy leaves, somewhat sinuated leaves, large white flowers, fast growth rate, and good branch production.

[0001] Latin name of the genus and species of the claimed plant:

[0002]Gardenia jasminoides Ellis

[0003] Variety denomination:

[0004] Kimberly

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofGardenia plant, botanically known as Gardenia jasminoides Ellis,hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Kimberly’.

[0006] The new cultivar originated as a mutant in a controlled breedingprogram in Pocldijk, The Netherlands. The mutant parent is an unnamedplant of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis (unpatented). ‘Kimberly’ wasdiscovered and selected by the inventor, Nicolaas Wilhelmus Jozef MariaBarendse, as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross ina controlled environment in Poeldijk, The Netherlands.

[0007] Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by tissue culture wasfirst performed in Summer 1998 in Alexandria, Egypt, and hasdemonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosedfor the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproducestrue-to-type.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The following traits have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be basic characteristics of ‘Kimberly’ which incombination distinguish this Gardenia as a new and distinct cultivar:

[0009] 1. dark green glossy leaves;

[0010] 2. somewhat sinuated leaves;

[0011] 3. large white flowers;

[0012] 4. fast growth rate; and

[0013] 5. good branch production.

[0014] ‘Kimberly’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary significantlywith variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, anddaylength without any change in the genotype of the plant. The followingobservations, measurements and values describe the new cultivar as grownin Poeldijk, The Netherlands under conditions which closely approximatethose generally used in commercial practice.

[0015] Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor,the most similar in comparison to ‘Kimberly’ is cultivar jasminoides‘Ellis’. ‘Kimberly’ has much bigger, darker, glossier and somewhatsinuated leaves. The flowers of ‘Kimberly’ are bigger but the plantproduces less buds. ‘Kimberly’ is wider than jasminiodes Ellis, producesmore branches and the growing speed is approximately twice as high.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0016] The accompanying photographic drawings illustrate the overallappearance of the new Gardenia showing the colors as true as isreasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type.

[0017]FIG. 1 shows a typical 9 month old plant of ‘Kimberly’.

[0018]FIG. 2 is a closeup of a flower from ‘Kimberly’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following observations, measurements and values describe thenew cultivar as grown in Poeldijk, The Netherlands under conditionswhich closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice.The cultivar is grown in a normal commercial greenhouse. Minimumtemperature in summer and winter is 22 degrees Celsius. The Ph should bekept low. Tip cutting is practiced in order to produce more branches.Growth retardant Alar (Daminozide) is added. Lowest temperaturetolerancy is 3 degrees Celsius, highest is 40 degrees Celsius. Nophotoperiodic treatments are conducted. Color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (RHS), edition 2001, exceptwhere general colors of ordinary significance are used. Color valueswere taken under daylight conditions at approximately 1:00 p.m. inBoskoop, The Netherlands. The age of the plant described is 9 months.

[0020] Propagation: tissue culture.

[0021] Plant:

[0022]General appearance and form.—Height: Average: 25 cm. Spread:Average: 55 cm. Branching: Freely branching, at the branch-tips, whereflowers have bloomed, three new branches are developed from axillarynodes.

[0023]Flowering response.—Terminal flowers appear at branch-tips, afterthe branches have stopped growing.

[0024]Flowering season.—Spring and early summer.

[0025]Winter hardiness/weather tolerance.—Tropical; grown indoors inwestern Europe; hardy to USDA zone 10.

[0026]Lastingness of the individual bloom.—Average: 4 days.

[0027]Rooting habit.—Roots freely branched with many fine roots.

[0028]Time to initiate roots.—3 weeks in summer, 5 weeks in winter.

[0029]Time to produce a rooted cutting.—5 weeks in summer, 7 weeks inwinter.

[0030]Crop time.—Spring and early summer.

[0031]Growth and branching habit.—Broad upright to spreading, freelybranching, forming a dense and compact shrub.

[0032]Fragrance.—Very strong, sweet and pleasant.

[0033] Stem description:

[0034]Length.—Average 15 cm.

[0035]Diameter.—Average 4 mm.

[0036]Internode length and color.—Average internode length 4 cm, youngstems are green, RHS 141A; older stems are greyed-green, RHS 194A.

[0037] Foliage:

[0038]Overall shape of leaf.—Ovate to elliptic.

[0039]Apex.—Acute.

[0040]Base.—Acuminate.

[0041]Length.—Average 11 cm.

[0042]Width.—Average 5.8 cm.

[0043]Margin.—Wavy.

[0044]Texture.—Smooth, somewhat leathery, very glossy.

[0045]Durability to stresses.—High.

[0046]Color of upper surface.—Mature leaf: Green, closest color betweenRHS 139A and 147A, but much darker. Immature leaf: Closest toyellow-green, RHS 147A, but greener.

[0047]Color of lower surface.—Mature leaf: Green, RHS 137B to RHS 137C.Immature leaf: Green, RHS 137C.

[0048]Venation color.—Upper surface: Yellow-green, RHS 144B. Lowersurface: Yellow-green, RHS 144C.

[0049]Petiole.—Length: Average 2 mm. Diameter: Average: 1.5 mm high and2.5 mm wide. Color: Green, RHS 143C.

[0050] Flowers:

[0051]Flower type and habit.—Double, salver form with a very short tube(the lower ¼ of the petals is fused, the upper ¾ is free). Apart fromthe 6 sepals, each flower has an average of 24 petaloids; these areirregularly broad elliptic to obovate with an entire, on some petaloidsslightly wavy, margin. The average petaloid length is 2.8 cm, averagewidth 2.2 cm. The immature as well as the mature petaloids are white;RHS 155C. They have a smooth, slightly glossy texture.

[0052]Flower size.—Average diameter 10 cm, average height 4 cm.

[0053]Overall shape.—Salver form.

[0054]Average number of flowers per lateral branch.—3.

[0055]Petals.—Petal Number: 6. Petal Shape: Broad elliptic. Texture:Smooth, dull. Petal size: Average length 6 cm, average width 3.1 cm.

[0056]Petal color.—Upper surface: White, RHS 155C, tube green, RHS 142C.Lower surface: White, RHS 155C, tube green, RHS 142C to RHS 142D.

[0057]Stem.—Average length: 15 cm. Average diameter: 4 mm. Color: Youngstems are green, RHS 141A, older stems are greyed-green, RHS 194A.Internode length: 4 cm.

[0058]Bud.—Rate of opening: Individual flowers open at an independentrate from other individual flowers. Color: Green, RHS 143B to RHS 143C.Shape: Ovate. Length: Average 4 cm (a few days before opening).Diameter: Average 1.5 cm (a few days before opening).

[0059]Peduncles.—Average length 1.8 cm, average width 4 mm, pedunclesare carry the terminally placed flowers in an angle of 5° or straight ontop of the branch, the peduncles are strong.

[0060] Reproductive organs:

[0061]Stamen.—Average 2 very rudimentary stamen, usually deformed intopetaloids.

[0062]Number.—2.

[0063]Color.—White, RHS 155C.

[0064]Seeds.—Flowers are sterile, no seeds (or fruits) are formed.

[0065]Fruit.—Flowers are sterile, no fruits (or seeds) are formed.

[0066]Anthers.—Average of 2 very rudimentary stamens, no anthersdetected.

[0067]Pollen.—None observed.

[0068]Stigma.—Deeply lobed, lobes acute. Color: Yellow, RHS 8B.

[0069]Ovary.—Color: Green; RHS 143B to RHS 143C.

[0070] Disease resistance: Not more susceptible to pests and diseasesthan other Gardenia varieties.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Gardenia plant named ‘Kimberly’,substantially as illustrated and described herein.